Len Wiseman

Len Wiseman Talks UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, More Sequels, TOTAL RECALL, and Future Projects; Says RECALL Director’s Cut Is Two Hours Long

by Christina Radish    Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 2:35 pm

Taking the franchise’s action and mayhem to a new level, Underworld: Awakening is the fourth and most spectacular installment yet. With the film opening this weekend, creator/producer Len Wiseman graciously took some time away from finishing up his director’s cut of Total Recall (due out in theaters on August 3^rd) to chat with Collider about both films and possible upcoming projects.

During the nearly 30-minute exclusive conversation, Wiseman talked about the risk of stepping outside the box with the story for this Underworld film, the he was so involved with the production that he watched dailies online every day and gave notes throughout the entire process, his feelings about test screenings, and that there’s no immediate plan for a fifth installment but he’s always open to it. He also said he believes there will be a Total Recall trailer available in March, that his approximately two-hour director’s cut is just about ready for the studio to see, and that he needs very few insert shots. As far as what’s next on his plate, he said that he’s writing a script that is a good mix of thriller and action with a supernatural quality to it. Check out what he had to say about that, and so much more, after the jump:

TOP 5: MAN OF STEEL, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Len Wiseman, Jason Bateman & Ryan Reynolds, J.J. Abrams Updates STAR TREK 2

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 6th, 2011 at 12:08 pm

This week’s “Top 5″ is a special one for me. Before letting your imagination run away from you, I’ll just say that it’s not for any nostalgic reasons that connect back to the content at hand but rather because I’m writing it while literally in the midst of moving. For those who haven’t experienced this joyous task first-hand, this means that I’m currently a sweaty, disheveled, unorganized mess who can’t for the life of me figure out when/how/why I accumulated so much junk. For the record, Mom, I’m not referring to my posters. They’re awesome. Period. End of story.

All venting aside, this week’s installment features the first official look at Henry Cavill in director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, a video interview with director Len Wiseman where he discusses his Total Recall remake and the return of everyone’s favorite three-breasted woman, the first image of Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises along with a cornucopia of set photos from the film, an exclusive interview with Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds for The Change-Up, and a Star Trek 2 update from J.J. Abrams. You can find brief recaps and links to all of the above after the jump.

Exclusive: Director Len Wiseman Talks TOTAL RECALL and UNDERWORLD 4; Confirms Three-Breasted Woman Will be in the Film

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 1st, 2011 at 11:01 am

At this year’s Comic-Con, I had the opportunity to sit down with director Len Wiseman to talk about producing Underworld: Awakening and directing the remake of Total Recall.  While interviews at Comic-Con are usually a bit rushed, one of the reasons I’m excited to post this interview is that I had over twenty minutes to talk to Wiseman.  During the extended conversation, we talked about being back at Comic-Con and what does he geek out over, why should fans be excited about the 4th installment of Underworld, how he got involved with Total Recall and the differences between his movie and the original.  Trust me, I spent a huge amount of time asking him about Recall and if you’re curious about the remake, you’re going to learn a lot watching this interview.  Some of the things he mentioned:

• They’re not going to Mars and it’s not going to be in 3D.
• Says the movie has a different tone than the original and when I asked if his movie would use any of the classic one-liners, he said, “they have them in different forms.”
• Regarding any Easter Eggs to connect it to original film, says the three-breasted woman will be in it and a few other surprises.
• I asked about big action sequences and he says they have a few of them.  One of them is a huge hovercraft action scene that will take 15 days to shoot.  Says it’s being done practically with limited CGI. Here’s a few photos from when they were filming it.
• The shoot is scheduled for 80 to 85 days. They started in May and it shoots until September.
• Asked if they are doing anything the he would categorize as “pushing the boundaries?” He says he thinks they are. They filmed a fight sequence using a bunch of super slider rigs that are usually used for car chases and football games. The cameras goes 35 mph and they covered the fight sequence like a car chase.

Hit the jump for the full interview.

Set Photo Roundup: Len Wiseman’s TOTAL RECALL Remake and Woody Allen’s BOP DECAMERON

by Jason Barr    Posted: July 27th, 2011 at 3:22 pm

Normally, I’m not the biggest champion of set photos. I just don’t understand what they prove beyond the fact that “Movie X” is indeed filming in “Location A” with “Talent C.” Nevertheless, when you give them a little context, I tend to care a little more. For example, director Len Wiseman (Underworld) told Steve at Comic-Con that his Total Recall remake was in the process of shooting a 15-day hovercraft chase scene (for comparison sake, chase scenes and other comparable action sequences generally take around 5 days to film). With that information in mind, I was actually kind of excited to see some images from that shoot pop up online.

In addition to the Total Recall images, we also have some pics from the Rome set of writer/director Woody Allen’s Bop Decameron. Granted, those pics fall closer to the somewhat bland example outlined above, but fans of Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, and Greta Gerwig may still find something worth checking out after the jump. Starring Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, and Ethan Hawke, Total Recall hits theaters on August 2nd. Allen’s Bop Decameron is currently eyeing an unspecified 2012 release.

Comic-Con 2011: TOTAL RECALL Panel Recap

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 22nd, 2011 at 6:04 pm

As I said with the Fright Night panel, remakes are tricky but at least the original Fright Night a pretty straight film.  Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall is insane.  Not only does it have a twisty plot which it then drops half-way through, but there’s exploding fat lady heads, tri-breasted women, and the magnificence that is Kuato.  Even though the film only came out twenty years ago, it’s tough to imagine a big summer blockbuster being so strange.  I need to be convinced that this remake is necessary or brings something new to the table.  Sitting in Hall H for the panel, I want to be convinced.

Hit the jump for the recap of the Total Recall panel.

Comic-Con 2011: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING Panel Recap

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 22nd, 2011 at 2:36 pm

The latest installment in the Underworld franchise, titled Underworld: Awakening, is headed to theaters soon and we got our first look at the film at today’s panel in Hall H. The 3D action-horror film stars Kate Beckinsale, with a script by franchise staple Len Wiseman. Hit the jump for my full recap of the panel, where we were treated to the first footage from the film (in 3D), a Q&A with the directors, and Wiseman addressed future entries in the Underworld franchise.

First Official Image from TOTAL RECALL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 14th, 2011 at 2:02 pm

After yesterday’s set photos, the first official image from Len Wiseman’s remake of Total Recall has gone online.  In the image, Colin Farrell is apparently at the mercy of two guys playing paintball.  When the film has its presentation at Comic-Con, will someone please go to the mic and ask Wiseman there will be anything half as creative as Kuato or the chick with three boobs in Paul Verhoeven’s original.  Maybe the Comic-Con presentation will turn me around on this film but neither Wiseman’s filmography nor any of these Total Recall images have made me interested in this movie.

Hit the jump to check out the image.  The film also stars Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, John Cho, Ethan Hawke, and Bryan Cranston.  Total Recall opens August 3, 2012.

New Set Photos from Len Wiseman’s Remake of TOTAL RECALL [Updated]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 13th, 2011 at 10:13 am

I’m not necessarily opposed to a remake of Total Recall.  I’m opposed to a remake when the original was from interesting director Paul Verhoeven and the remake is by Len Wiseman, a director who thought blue was the only color his Underworld movies needed.  The remake takes Mars out of the equation and has protagonist Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) trying to find out if he’s a spy for the nation state of Euromerica or its rival New Asia.  New set photos from the film have leaked online and they provide a look at storm trooper outfits, a car that looks like it was taken from Demolition Man, and a neat New Asian passport (I like that the passport has a QR Code).

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  The film also stars Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, John Cho, Ethan Hawke, and Bryan Cranston.  Total Recall opens August 3, 2012. [Update: We've added more set photos after the jump.]

Exclusive: Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel Officially Cast in TOTAL RECALL; Filming Starts Monday in Toronto [UPDATED]

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 25th, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Last month we heard that Sony Pictures had offered Kate Beckinsale the role of Lori opposite Colin Farrell in their Total Recall remake.  With her husband, Len Wiseman, directing the project and given that they previously collaborated on the Underworld movies, it wasn’t really much of a surprise.  However, sources have now told us that she’s officially signed on and Jessica Biel is going to play the other female lead (Melina).  In addition to the casting news, we’ve been told filming starts Monday in Toronto.

For those playing catch up on the remake, Colin Farrell is set to star, Ethan Hawke has a cameo, and Bryan Cranston is poised to play the villain.  The remake will apparently be closer to Phillip K. Dick’s source material than the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger flick. Farrell plays a factory worker who begins to believe he’s a spy for either the nation stat Euromerica or New Shanghai, but he doesn’t know which.  Hit the jump for a recap of what we know about the film so far.

[Update: Heat Vision reports that Bill Nighy has joined the cast as the enigmatic Quatto, the leader of the resistance.]

Ethan Hawke Reveals His TOTAL RECALL Cameo Involves 5-Page Monologue

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 20th, 2011 at 1:26 pm

While not much is known about the nature of Ethan Hawke’s cameo in director Len Wiseman’s (Live Free or Die Hard) remake of Total Recall, the actor recently revealed that this won’t be your quick-scene cameo. In speaking with Vulture, Hawke said that he’s shooting his scene next week and he’s doing a 5-page monologue, so it’s safe to assume that his character plays a bit of a crucial role in the flick.

Colin Farrell is set to star in the remake, which will apparently be closer to Phillip K. Dick’s source material than the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger flick. Farrell plays a factory worker who begins to believe he’s a spy for either the nation stat Euromerica or New Shanghai, but he doesn’t know which. Hit the jump for a recap of what we know about the film so far.

Ethan Hawke to Cameo in TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 10th, 2011 at 12:03 pm

Ethan Hawke has joined Len Wiseman’s upcoming remake of Total Recall.  The film stars Colin Farrell as a factory worker who begins to believe he’s a spy for either the nation stat Euromerica or New Shanghai, but he doesn’t know which.  The movie is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” and was loosely adapted back in 1990 as an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie directed by Paul Verhoeven.  The movie has ditched the concept of going to Mars because I guess as a country we’ve given up on that dream.

Heat Vision reports that Hawke’s role is being kept under wraps and that it’s a cameo in nature.  I’m not exactly sure why you’d cast Hawke in a cameo when he wasn’t in the original film, but I’m not going to argue against his participation.  The film also stars Bryan Cranston as villain Vilos Cohaagen, and Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel are in talks to play the female leads Lori and Melina, respectively.  Total Recall opens August 3, 2012.

Kate Beckinsale Offered Lori in TOTAL RECALL; Eva Mendes and Rosario Dawson Up for Melina

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 20th, 2011 at 9:09 pm

Sony Pictures has offered Kate Beckinsale  the role of Lori opposite Colin Farrell in their Total Recall remake.  Diane Kruger, Kate Bosworth, and Jessica Biel have each read for the part of Lori.  This is the first time Beckinsale has been linked to the film, though her involvement is no surprise: Beckinsale is slightly married to the director, Len Wiseman.  They previously collaborated on the Underworld movies.

If Beckinsale accepts, Biel has a backup; early reports suggested the actress is after the role of Melina.  Yet that may prove yet another dead end for Ms. Biel.  Deadline hears Eva Mendes and Rosario Dawson are “the serious contenders” for the role.  Bryan Cranston is confirmed to play villain Vilos Cohaagen in the remake.  Read more on the story after the jump.

Jessica Biel Close to Grabbing One of the Lead Female Roles in TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 8th, 2011 at 5:13 pm

Len Wiseman’s (Live Free or Die Hard) remake of Total Recall may be close to casting one of the two lead female roles. Variety reports that Jessica Biel is circling one of the roles opposite Colin Farrell in the remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger starred sci-fi film. The two roles in the original, Lori and Melina, were played by Sharon Stone and Rachel Ticotin respectively. Apparently early word was that Biel was going after Melina, but the trade says that there’s a chance she’s going after the other character. Other actresses reading for the roles include Eva Mendes, Diane Kruger and Kate Bosworth.

Bryan Cranston is set to play the villain in the remake. When producer Neil Moritz sat down with Steve a while ago, he stated that this film is closer to Philip K. Dick’s book than the 1990 film was, and in the remake they won’t be going to space (which is kind of confusing, given that a major plot point involves Mars). Further plot details are scarce, and at this point we don’t even know what villain Cranston is portraying. Nevertheless, the addition of Cranston to the cast automatically puts this in my “must-see” category. Total Recall hits theaters August 3rd 2012.

Bryan Cranston to Play Villain in TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 30th, 2011 at 12:28 pm

How do you get me interested in a Len Wiseman-directed remake of Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall?  Step 1: Hire Bryan Cranston.  Step 2: There is no Step 2.  Variety reports that the three-time Emmy winner will play the film’s villain opposite Colin Farrell.  However, Variety doesn’t say which villain role Cranston will be playing.  Is it the thuggish Richter (originally played by Michael Ironside) or is it the more likely role of big bad Martian administrator Vilos Cohaagen (originally played by Ronny Cox)?  Either way, this film now has Cranston and that’s cause enough to be excited.  [Update: Heat Vision has details on the plot and says Cranston is playing Cohaagen:

"The new story involves nation states Euromerica and New Shanghai, with Douglas Quaid (Farrell) a factory worker in the latter who begins to believe he is a spy, although he doesn't know for which side.  Cranston would play Vilos Cohaagen, the leader of Euromerica who, under the cover of protecting his people, is secretly readying an invasion of New Shanghai."]

The Breaking Bad actor is currently at work on the show’s upcoming season, which is set to debut this July.  Cranston will also be seen in theaters later this year in Tom Hanks’ Larry Crowne, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion.

Eva Mendes, Kate Bosworth, Diane Kruger Among Actresses Reading for Female Leads in TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 22nd, 2011 at 11:33 am

Now that Len Wiseman’s remake of Total Recall has Colin Farrell in the role originally played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1990 Paul Verhoeven film, the film is casting for the lead female roles.  For those who haven’t seen the original film, the two lead female roles are Douglas Quaid’s (Farrell) wife Lori (played in the original film by Sharon Stone) and the other is Martian freedom fighter Melina (originally played by Rachel Ticotin).

Deadline reports that Diane Kruger and Kate Bosworth have read for the role of Lori; Paula Patton, Jessica Biel, and Eva Green have read for Melina, and Eva Mendes has read for both roles.  Hit the jump for my thoughts on the casting.  Total Recall is set to open on August 3, 2012.

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